A flight simulation device, or a simulator, is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies for pilot training, design, or other purposes. A simulator may include flight control hardware and an aircraft model containing equations that govern how aircraft fly, how aircraft react to applications of flight controls, and how aircraft react to various external factors (e.g., air density, wind shear, cloud and precipitation).
A simulator may need to demonstrate a certain level of fidelity for it to be certifiable by an aviation authority. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, for example, has established Qualification Test Guide (QTG) for qualification of simulators (e.g., Federal Aviation Regulation 14 CFR Part 60). The qualification test may be carried out by comparing flight data recorded from an actual flight with modeled data generated by an aircraft model (may also be referred to as a simulator aircraft model or a simulator in general). If the same input sequence (e.g., commands issued by the pilot as recorded during the actual flight) is provided to the aircraft model, the expectation is that the modeled data produced by the aircraft model should match the recorded flight data reasonably well. It is noted, however, that minor inaccuracies in the aircraft model, simulator hardware-specific variabilities and un-modeled external disturbances such as gusts occurred during the actual flight may cause the modeled data to differ from the flight data.
To account for factors such as minor inaccuracies in the aircraft model, simulator hardware-specific variabilities and un-modeled external disturbances, the input sequence to the aircraft model is allowed to be slightly modified (from the actual commands issued by the pilot as recorded) to help demonstrate that the aircraft model can produce modeled data that matches the recorded flight data reasonably well (e.g., within QTG specified tolerances). It is noted, however, that currently available methods for modifying input sequences rely heavily on manual tuning, and thus are very time consuming and the resulting input modification is specific only to the test case being considered. In addition, currently available methods for modifying the input sequence do not take into consideration the variabilities that may be introduced by the simulator hardware. As a result, the modifications applicable to an input sequence may need to be re-tuned when the aircraft model is loaded into the simulator hardware, making the tuning process even more time consuming.